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Background and Objectives: Entrustable professional activities (EPAs) will be used for initial certification by the American Board of Pediatrics by 2028. Less than half of pediatric fellowships currently use EPAs for assessment, yet all will need to adopt them. Our objectives were to identify facilitators and barriers to the implementation of EPAs to assess pediatric fellows and to determine fellowship program directors' (FPD) perceptions of EPAs and Milestones., Methods: We conducted a survey of FPDs from 15 pediatric subspecialties. EPA users were asked about their implementation of EPAs, barriers encountered, and perceptions of EPAs. Nonusers were queried about deterrents to using EPAs. Both groups were asked about potential facilitators of implementation and their perceptions of Milestones., Results: The response rate was 65% (575/883). Of these, 344 (59.8%) were EPA users and 231 (40.2%) were nonusers. Both groups indicated work burden as a barrier to implementation. Nonusers reported more barriers than users (mean [SD]: 7 [3.8] vs 5.8 [3.4], P < .001). Both groups identified training materials and premade assessment forms as facilitators to implementation. Users felt that EPAs were easier to understand than Milestones (89%) and better reflected what it meant to be a practicing subspecialty physician (90%). In contrast, nonusers felt that Milestones were easy to understand (57%) and reflected what it meant to be a practicing subspecialist (58%)., Conclusions: Implementing EPA-based assessment will require a substantial investment by FPDs, facilitated by guidance and easily accessible resources provided by multiple organizations. Perceived barriers to be addressed include FPD time constraints, a need for additional assessment tools, and outcomes data., (Copyright © 2024 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Starting in 2015, pediatric rheumatology fellowship training programs were required by the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education to assess fellows' academic performance within 21 subcompetencies falling under six competency domains. Each subcompetency had four or five milestone levels describing developmental progression of knowledge and skill acquisition. Milestones were standardized across all pediatric subspecialties. As part of the Milestones 2.0 revision project, the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education convened a workgroup in 2022 to write pediatric rheumatology-specific milestones. Using adult rheumatology's Milestones 2.0 as a starting point, the workgroup revised the patient care and medical knowledge subcompetencies and milestones to reflect requirements and nuances of pediatric rheumatology care. Milestones within four remaining competency domains (professionalism, interpersonal and communication skills, practice-based learning and improvement, and systems-based practice) were standardized across all pediatric subspecialties, and therefore not revised. The workgroup created a supplemental guide with explanations of the intent of each subcompetency, 25 in total, and examples for each milestone level. The new milestones are an important step forward for competency-based medical education in pediatric rheumatology. However, challenges remain. Milestone level assignment is meant to be informed by results of multiple assessment methods. The lack of pediatric rheumatology-specific assessment tools typically result in clinical competency committees determining trainee milestone levels without such collated results as the foundation of their assessments. Although further advances in pediatric rheumatology fellowship competency-based medical education are needed, Milestones 2.0 importantly establishes the first pediatric-specific rheumatology Milestones to assess fellow performance during training and help measure readiness for independent practice., (© 2023 American College of Rheumatology.)

Background and Objectives: Although burnout has been studied extensively among students and residents, in few studies have researchers examined burnout among fellowship trainees. We measured burnout among fellows in our freestanding children's hospital and evaluated fellows' perceptions of stigma around (and willingness to seek treatment for) psychological distress. The objectives are as follows: to (1) measure burnout among pediatric fellows, (2) assess fellows' perceptions of stigma around help seeking for mental illness, and (3) examine the relationship between burnout and willingness to seek behavioral health counseling., Methods: We distributed a 48-item inventory to all 288 fellows in our pediatric center. Items included the Maslach Burnout Inventory and Likert-type matrices to assess attitudes toward behavioral health treatment and associated stigma. We used 2-sampled t-tests to associate burnout with willingness to seek mental health treatment., Results: A total of 152 fellows (52%) responded, of whom 53% met the threshold for burnout. Most reported believing that their program directors (78%), attending physicians (72%), and patients (82%) hold negative attitudes about mental illness and its treatment; 68% believed that employers would reject their application if they knew they sought counseling. Fellows with burnout were more likely to believe that others in the clinical learning environment hold negative views of help seeking for behavioral health (odds ratio 1.2-1.9)., Conclusions: Just over one-half of the pediatric fellows in our center meet the threshold for burnout. They also experience significant workplace-based stigma around help seeking for psychological distress. Fellows with burnout are more likely than their peers to perceive significant stigma around help seeking for their distress, making them a particularly at-risk learner population., Competing Interests: POTENTIAL CONFLICT OF INTEREST: The authors have indicated they no potential conflicts of interest relevant to this article to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 by the American Academy of Pediatrics.)

Objective: To provide clinical guidance to rheumatology providers who treat children with pediatric rheumatic disease (PRD) in the context of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic., Methods: The task force, consisting of 7 pediatric rheumatologists, 2 pediatric infectious disease physicians, 1 adult rheumatologist, and 1 pediatric nurse practitioner, was convened on May 21, 2020. Clinical questions and subsequent guidance statements were drafted based on a review of the queries posed by the patients as well as the families and healthcare providers of children with PRD. An evidence report was generated and disseminated to task force members to assist with 3 rounds of asynchronous, anonymous voting by email using a modified Delphi approach. Voting was completed using a 9-point numeric scoring system with predefined levels of agreement (categorized as disagreement, uncertainty, or agreement, with median scores of 1-3, 4-6, and 7-9, respectively) and consensus (categorized as low, moderate, or high). To be approved as a guidance statement, median vote ratings were required to fall into the highest tertile for agreement, with either moderate or high levels of consensus., Results: To date, 39 guidance statements have been approved by the task force. Those with similar recommendations were combined to form a total of 33 final guidance statements, all of which received median vote ratings within the highest tertile of agreement and were associated with either moderate consensus (n = 5) or high consensus (n = 28)., Conclusion: These guidance statements have been generated based on review of the available literature, indicating that children with PRD do not appear to be at increased risk for susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 infection. This guidance is presented as a "living document," recognizing that the literature on COVID-19 is rapidly evolving, with future updates anticipated., (© 2021, American College of Rheumatology.)

Background: The use of telemedicine in pediatric rheumatology has been historically low. The current COVID 19 global pandemic has forced a paradigm shift with many centers rapidly adopting virtual visits to conduct care resulting in rapid expansion of use of telemedicine amongst practices. BODY: This commentary discusses practical tips for physicians including guidance around administrative and governance issues, preparation for telemedicine, involving the multidisciplinary care team, and teaching considerations. We also outline a standard proforma and smart phrases for the electronic health record. A proposed variation of the validated pediatric gait arms legs spine examination (pGALS) called the video pGALS (VpGALS) as a means of conducting virtual pediatric rheumatology physical examination is presented., Conclusion: This commentary provides a starting framework for telemedicine use in pediatric rheumatology and further work on validation and acceptability is needed.

ObjectiveTo provide guidance on the management of multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS-C), a condition characterized by fever, inflammation, and multiorgan dysfunction that manifests late in the course of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection, and to provide recommendations for children with hyperinflammation during coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), the acute, infectious phase of SARS-CoV-2 infection.MethodsA multidisciplinary task force was convened by the American College of Rheumatology (ACR) to provide guidance on the management of MIS-C associated with SARS-CoV-2 and hyperinflammation in COVID-19. The task force was composed of 9 pediatric rheumatologists, 2 adult rheumatologists, 2 pediatric cardiologists, 2 pediatric infectious disease specialists, and 1 pediatric critical care physician. Preliminary statements addressing clinical questions related to MIS-C and hyperinflammation in COVID-19 were developed based on evidence reports. Consensus was built through a modified Delphi process that involved 2 rounds of anonymous voting and 2 webinars. A 9-point scale was used to determine the appropriateness of each statement (median scores of 1-3 for inappropriate, 4-6 for uncertain, and 7-9 for appropriate), and consensus was rated as low, moderate, or high based on dispersion of the votes along the numeric scale. Approved guidance statements were those that were classified as appropriate with moderate or high levels of consensus, as prespecified prior to voting.ResultsThe ACR task force approved a total of 128 guidance statements addressing the management of MIS-C and hyperinflammation in pediatric COVID-19. These statements were refined into 40 final clinical guidance statements, accompanied by a flow diagram depicting the diagnostic pathway for MIS-C.ConclusionOur understanding of SARS-CoV-2-related syndromes in the pediatric population continues to evolve. The guidance provided in this "living document" reflects currently available evidence, coupled with expert opinion, and will be revised as further evidence becomes available.

A previously healthy, fully immunized 7-year-old girl presented with a 7-week history of daily fevers and a worsening cough with persistently elevated inflammatory markers. Before admission, she had an unrevealing outpatient workup by infectious disease, rheumatology, pulmonology, and otorhinolaryngology for her fever and other symptoms. Multiple courses of antibiotics had no effect, but brief courses of steroids seemed to modestly alleviate her symptoms. At an outside hospital, a computed tomography neck and chest scan revealed mediastinal lymphadenopathy. She was subsequently transferred to the authors' institution. Her examination was notable for a febrile, tired-appearing girl in respiratory distress with a muffled voice and inspiratory stridor. Her laboratory tests revealed leukocytosis with left shift, microcytic anemia, and hypoalbuminemia, as well as elevated inflammatory markers, ferritin, and fecal calprotectin. Her peripheral smear, uric acid, and lactate dehydrogenase were all within normal limits. Infectious study results, including blood and urine cultures, cytomegalovirus serologies, and Bartonella serologies were negative. On the second read of her outside computed tomography imaging, her lymphadenopathy was felt to be nonpathologic. Based on a recommendation by rheumatology, an ophthalmologic examination was obtained, which revealed bilateral anterior uveitis; however, rheumatologic laboratory test results returned negative. Her fevers continued, and inflammatory markers remained elevated despite antibiotics. On day 6 of hospitalization, she developed worsening respiratory distress, necessitating intubation and transfer to the ICU. Repeat laryngoscopy and bronchoscopy revealed severe purulent tracheitis; however, throat cultures remained sterile. Her clinical deterioration without identification of an offending organism prompted additional evaluation for a systemic etiology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pediatric Rheumatology (PRH) workforce supply in the United States does not meet the needs of children. Lack of timely access to PRH care is associated with poor outcomes for children with rheumatic diseases. This article is part of a Pediatrics supplement focused on anticipating the future pediatric subspecialty workforce supply. It draws on information in the literature, American Board of Pediatrics data, and findings from a model that estimates the future supply of pediatric subspecialists developed by the Sheps Center for Health Services Research at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Strategic Modeling and Analysis Ltd., and the American Board of Pediatrics Foundation. PRH has a smaller workforce per capita of children than most other pediatric subspecialties. The model demonstrates that the clinical workforce equivalent of pediatric rheumatologists in 2020 was only 0.27 per 100 000 children, with a predicted increase to 0.47 by 2040. Although the model predicts a 72% increase in providers, this number remains inadequate to provide sufficient care given the number of children with rheumatic diseases, especially in the South and West regions. The likely reasons for the workforce shortage are multifactorial, including lack of awareness of the field, low salaries compared with most other medical specialties, concerns about working solo or in small group practices, and increasing provider retirement. Novel interventions are needed to increase the workforce size. The American College of Rheumatology has recognized the dire consequences of this shortage and has developed a workforce solutions initiative to tackle these problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]